DJ Moves

Another underground classic, courtesy of DJ Moves and his experimental party productions. He's created much slept-on classics with co-conspirators Tachichi, Governor Bolts, Hip Club Groove and Josh Martinez. This time around, Vancity MC Birdapres joins Halifax native DJ Moves for a wild ride through the old school, maintaining an experimental, next school freshness throughout. While the beats consist of a large variety of unusual samples and constant change-ups, what makes DJ Moves a powerful producer is his deep concentration on drums. In fact, songs like "Bird Is..." and "The Alibi" are nearly dominated by drums. Plus, Moves is a master when it comes to movements throughout the music. In the lyrical department, Birdapres plays it pretty straight, in large part responsible for the old school feel. On "Bird Is...," the first track recorded for this collaboration, Bird flies through familiar names from hip-hop's MC history. We get a Bird's eye view of his life with "The Alibi" and "In My Life," while Bird gets into some witty bragging on "Hot to Death" and "Bird's Mind." "Commies," about the trials and tribulations some experienced during the Cold War, is some of Bird's most touching storytelling, along with "In My Life." The posse cut, "Opposite Angels," featuring Stace Prints and newcomers Ink Operated, also deserves an intense listen. Again, another DJ Moves project devoid of any wack tracks. As Moves cuts in the intro, "MCs believe in God but they're scared of Birdapres."